A bus that needs no driver

Modern, individually-tailored logistics: US automaker Local Motors has called the bus "Olli".

It would seem a machine that is going to radically change public transport is best wrapped up in a cute shell.

Some of the bus's components come from a 3D printer. It charges its batteries through induction plates and is driverless.

What makes it smart is the artificial intelligence "Watson" from IBM, which is connected wirelessly to Olli. Watson assesses the data that the 30 sensors gather, including the camera, the GPS sensors and the laser scanner on the roof.

The goal is to have dozens of these autonomous mini-buses on the road that passengers can call up by app. In an estimated five years there will be hundreds of autonomous vehicles in big cities that offer individual mobility on call, with a taxi-like flexibility. An exciting prospect!